Eco-travel: how to go green

We all like to do our bit for the planet: recycling, taking the bike instead of the car. Eating organic. But does it need to stop when we go on holiday? Aoife Mullen gets to grips with green travel

Walking in the Great Western Greenways

For travellers, green is definitely the new black. Just ask the International Ecotourism Society: green, environmentally friendly holidays have been on the rise worldwide since the 1990s.

So what is an eco-holiday?

Clean Break authors Richard Hammond and Jeremy Smith sum it up. “Essentially it's about minimising your environmental impact – on your journey and at your destination – by choosing carefully how you travel and the nature of the place you choose to stay at.”

You’ll be glad to know that minimising your environmental impact doesn’t mean minimising your enjoyment. Ask any eco-tourist and they’ll tell you that green travel is great travel.

This is the earthy way to get closer to the landscape and the locals who live in that landscape. It’s a way to explore untouched wildlife areas and indulge in utterly untouched organic produce.

There are few places in Ireland, or Europe, more organic than the Burren in County Clare. Manager of the visitor centre there, Frances Connole, says “Visitors can take guided tours of sensitive areas of the Burren to minimise the damage and negative impact to the naturalness of the Burren.”

Eco-friendly activities

But eco-tourism isn’t just about modes of transport. Eco-friendly areas like the Great Western Greenway in the West of Ireland have eco-friendly tourism attractions, such as the Ceide Fields and National Park.

The green scene is making a culinary impact, too. Restaurants such as Ely Bar and Brasserie in Dublin source beef from their family farm in the Burren. Read through the menu of The Green Room in Belfast and you'll spot treats like Carlingford crab and Fermanagh Pork Belly.

New green travel ideas keep coming. Woofing (working on organic farms for free) doesn’t just help the environment, it also helps the locals. Visitors to Kildare’s Burtown House, for example, help maintain the gardens and farms during the day and in return, you get to stay and eat for free.

We’ve only been able to touch the tip of the iceberg when it comes to environmentally responsible travel around the island of Ireland. Green Travel, though, has pulled together formally certified places to eat, sleep and have fun that’ll keep your conscience clean – and green. Enjoy.